AJC Report: Northwest Georgia could be big loser in the Trump trade battle

One economic forecast says five Northwest Georgia counties could potentially lose a big percentage of jobs if President Trump’s tough trade policies with the North American Fair Trade Agreement (NAFTA) go into effect, according to a report in today’s Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Excerpt from the report:

“But if Trump squeezes Mexico and China as hard as he’s threatened, northwest Georgia would suffer some of the worst job losses in the nation, from manufacturing to retail, according to an analysis by the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a nonpartisan Washington D.C., think tank.”

“Five of the 12 counties with the largest percentages of private-sector job losses, the institute’s modeling found, would be in northwest Georgia: Catoosa, Gordon, Murray, Walker and Whitfield.“

“Murray, population 39,315, would be the No. 1 loser nationally, with a job loss of 18.3 percent in a trade war lasting more than a year. Whitfield, which includes Dalton, would be No. 2 with a 12 percent slide.”

This area, the so-called “Carpet Capital of the World” produces about half the world’s carpet as well as hard-surface flooring, a new signature product. Other manufacturers include everything from auto parts and appliances to goods made from chemicals, metal, wood and rubber. Click here to read more.